Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts' Yom Kippur High Holy Days Feature Ela Weissberger, Ilysia Pierce, Tribute to Marvin Hamlisch and More, 9/25-26

ELA WEISSBERGER, one of the few living Holocaust survivors of the Terezin (Teresienstadt) Concentration Camp and star of the children's opera, "Brundibár," will be a special guest of Rabbi David Baron at Yom Kippur High Holy Day Services on the Eve of Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre) today, September 25, 2012 at 8:00 p.m. at the Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts at the Saban Theatre; 8440 Wilshire Boulevard; Beverly Hills, Calif.

Other special Yom Kippur guests on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at services beginning at 10:00 a.m. will include: JOSH FATTAL, the American hiker arrested by Iranian security forces in July 2009, who was wrongly imprisoned on charges of espionage, and LAURIE RUBIN, a blind opera singer. Dramatic Readings will be given at the Kol Nidre and Yom Kippur services by renowned Members of The congregation, including: Julie Hagerty, Mary Hart, Larry King, Leonard Maltin, Sela Ward and MARIAnne Williamson.

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year on the Jewish calendar; it is a day of prayer and fasting for Jewish people around the world. The Eve of Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre) on September 25th, and Yom Kippur on September 26th, represent the end of a 10 day period of repentance and introspection which begins with the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, on September 16th and 17th.

The Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts is now celebrating its 20th Anniversary. The temple was founded and incorporated on November 5, 1992. Members of The media will be invited to interview the Rabbi's special guests, Ela Weissberger, Joshua Fattal and Laurie Rubin, from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m., prior to the beginning of the service on the Eve of Yom Kippur (Kol Nidre) today, September 25, 2012.

Rabbi David Baron, founder of the Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts, the largest arts synagogue in the United States, which draws heavily from the entertainment community, said: "Our guests each have incredible personal stories to tell of how they triumphed over adversity. Their messages of hope and determination in the face of oppression are inspirational messages we all need to hear."

The creative services will feature Broadway performers, Ilysia Pierce and Jordan Bennett, both of whom serve as cantors, along with the temple's choir comprised of singers from the Los Angeles Opera and the Los Angeles Master Chorale, led by the temple's Music Director and Composer, SHARON FARBER. A new piece of music written by composer Richard Kagan, entitled, "My Soul Is Yours," set to the text of a prayer written by an anonymous author, will be performed at the services. The prayer, which is part of the liturgy for the High Holy Days, is written by composer Richard Kagan in remembrance of his childhood and lifetime friend, the late multi-award-winning composer, Marvin Hamlisch. World-renowned harpist Corky Hale will perform at the Kol Nidre service on September 25th.

High Holy Day Servives will conducted on the ornate HAROLD KAPELOVITZ bimah, given as a gift from MRS. LEE KAPELOVITZ, in memory of her late husband. The bimah design was envisioned by Rabbi David Baron, with the assistance of his wife Adrienne Baron and Bruce Ryan. The goal was to create a dramatic living Jewish message of faith and peoplehood. Through the Rabbi's efforts the temple secured the exclusive rights to recreate the magnificent tapestry of the legendary artist, MARC CHAGALL, entitled "The Journey of the People." The original evocative work of art depicting the history of the Jewish people from Moses to King David hangs in Knesset in Jerusalem. The art deco elements of the temple's proscenium were incorporated into the design of the pillars, Holy Ark and pulpits. Six backlit panels present 18 (chai) word concepts of Jewish faith and belief taken from the Torah.

Tickets for the services begin at a tax-deductible donation of $350. For more information, please call Kasey Carter at 323-658-9100 or log on to www.templeofthearts.org. Street parking restrictions have been lifted for the areas adjacent to the Saban Theatre. Young adult seating for ages 20 to 35 are available for a donation.

The Beverly Hills Temple of the Arts also broadcasts its Yom Kippur service for the homebound on Direct TV, Comcast and Time Warner through JLTV (Jewish Life Television). JLTV can be viewed locally in Los Angles on Time Warner Channel 177. For more information, visit the website, www.jltv.tv.

Photo courtesy of Ela Weissberger.

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